Bittersweet Memories for a Blissful Day
by Oracle273
Summary: The kingdom is gathered for King Leopold and Regina's wedding. As Regina's big day comes along she has memories of the time when she was truly happy.


Bittersweet Memories For a Blissful Day.

Regina opened her eyes. She looked over at the clock. Half-past one. Great, her big wedding was today. Since mother wasn't here anymore she might actually be able to bear the day. She rolled over in bed and observed the features of the dark room she was put in for the night. She was laying on an elegant bed, snuggled up with a blanket made with the softest wool in the kingdom. Underneath her mahogany-framed bed was a bright red carpet with a golden trim to soften the hard, stone floor. To her right, there was a matching nightstand with a single lantern atop of it. The flickering flame inside the lantern cast off an eerie light to give the room an uncomfortable feel to it. Snow White had agreed the room was chilling but quickly assured Regina that she would soon be sharing a room with the king. Marvelous. All Regina wanted in life was to be happily married to a man that cared about who she was inside and not stuck being a prisoner to a man she married simply because she saved his daughter. Of course her mother had other plans and believed power would bring true happiness. That was the only reason she bothered marrying Henry. Her mother thought power was happiness and love was weakness. She clearly demonstrated her beliefs when she ripped out Daniel's heart and crushed it right in front of Regina.

Daniel. It had been three days since he died and Regina wasn't even allowed time to mourn his death. He wasn't given a proper burial and to make things worse Cora had lied about his death. Laughter filled the castle as Regina's mother told the story of how her stable boy was trampled to death by a horse. Henry lowered his eyes and mumbled about how unfortunate it was while Regina faked a smile as rage built up inside her every time someone brought it up. And then there was Snow. She wasn't happy hearing about the horrible death but she also wasn't brought down by it. She was told that Daniel had left Regina, so in her eyes he had got what he deserved. The past few days, Snow had clung to Regina's side everywhere she went. _How am I supposed to get rid her? Daniel is dead because of her. I shouldn't treat her like a daughter because she ruined my chances of having my own. _Just thinking of the little girl made Regina's head spin. _Just don't think about her. Think about Daniel._

**_It had been a hot summer day on the country side when Regina first met Daniel. For her eleventh birthday, Regina had received a horse, Roscoe, from her father. (She had asked a year earlier but her mother thought it would be proper to get more lady-like gifts for her tenth birthday.) Cora had strictly stated that Regina would have to learn to ride on her own because she was not going to waste money on a hobby for men. This hadn't bothered Regina until one day she spurred Roscoe on a little too much and didn't know how to stop the speeding horse. The young mare had started down a path that led to a farming community far from the manor. All Regina could do was hold tight to the horse and scream for help. It wasn't until she had passed the second farm that someone heard her pleas. She had heard hoof-beats behind her and when she looked back she saw a boy around her age coming up to her right on another horse. "Just hang on!" the boy had shouted. _**_Did this boy really think Regina was that stupid?_****_Letting go would mean falling off and breaking multiple bones, plus a chance of dying. _**_The boy came up alongside Regina and grabbed onto Roscoe's reins. That was when Regina realized the boy wasn't using a saddle at all. Her thoughts were interrupted quickly when the boy jumped onto Roscoe behind Regina and stopped the rampant horse by pulling the reins and saying a few commands. Regina's face immediately reddened at the ease of which the boy was able to stop the horse with. The boy hopped off and helped Regina down as she got a better look at him. His hair was dirty blonde and combed off to the right with a few strands sticking up in the front. His hands were caked with dirt and his clothes were ripped and muddy._**

_** "I'm Daniel. I live on one of the farms you passed," he said confidently. **_

_** "I'm Regina," she squeaked, "I live in a manor far from here. I'm new to horseback riding." **_

_** "Don't worry. All you need is a good teacher and you'll get it in a matter of days," He shook her hand and ran off after his own horse. **_

Regina looked over at the clock again. An hour and forty minutes had passed. She got comfortable in the bed and tried hard to suppress the memories of when she was actually happy so she wouldn't have to cry herself to sleep again. _Maybe mother was right. Maybe love _**_is_**_ weakness._

Regina was awoken by the knocking on her door. "M'lady, it is time to clean up and get dressed." "I'll be there in a minute," Regina answered. Regina spent the next two hours being washed and dressed by the servants. She kept herself occupied by day-dreaming about how life would be if Snow had died. _Sure, the kingdom would be saddened but I wouldn't. I would be off in the fields riding horses or having picnics with Daniel. I wouldn't be getting jabbed with pins and needles that's for sure. I could have been packing my things now and running off with Daniel so I can have my own happy ending. We would've had two kids; a boy and a girl. _

"I should of let her die"

"What?"

Regina snapped her head around. Snow stood in the doorway with a quizzical look on her face.

"Nothing."

"Wow, Regina you look absolutely beautiful."

"Thank you Snow, you look lovely as well"

"Not as great as you though. You truly are the fairest of them all."

Regina looked down at the little girl and smiled. _Maybe she isn't so bad after all... No. She killed Daniel. All she had to do was keep her little trap shut and-_

"Regina? Are you alright? You look really pale."

She looked in the mirror. The girl was right.

"It's nothing dear. Run along now."

Snow flashed an uneasy smile and ran off. Regina sighed. Her mother was gone but her evil spirit lived on in Regina and was dying to do something to prove it. Regina returned back to her daydreaming.

_**Regina was out playing at her favorite tree when her father came up to her. "I've got a surprise for you," was all he said. He led Regina back to the stables and opened the door for her. She looked inside expecting a new horse but only saw a young man brushing Roscoe. She looked up at her father confused.**_

_** "Daniel here is going to teach you how to ride a horse and maybe even some tricks."**_

_** "Daniel?"**_

_** "Yes dear, he lives on a farm some distance from here. While I was coming back from the trip I took last month my carriage broke down and his family helped me out. Is there a problem?"**_

_** "No father."**_

_** "Alright then. Hopefully you two can get started tomorrow morning."**_

_**As Henry left Regina shot a glance at Daniel who was focused on Roscoe's mane. **Is this the same boy that helped her when she lost control of Roscoe?_

_** "Is there something wrong milady?"**_

_** "No... Have we met before by any chance?"**_

_** "I don't know. Have you ever rode a horse and lost control of it near a farm run by my parents?"**_

_** "Smart-ass."**_

_**Daniel smirked and looked up at her. **_

_** "Why do you keep staring at me?" he said annoyed.**_

_** "Sorry its just that you look different."**_

_** "Yeah, there's a thing called puberty. It turns little boys into men."**_

_**Regina shot a glance at him and strutted over to him. She grabbed the brush from his hand and pushed him aside.**_

_** "I can brush my own horse."**_

_**He stepped back and smiled.**_

"Oh your majesty you look stunning!" one of the servants exclaimed.

"You're definitely ready for the king," said another.

"He's going to be so happy when he sees you!"

Regina looked in the mirror. She did like the dress, although it dragged behind her as she walked. She paid no attention to the servants as she walked away. _How dare they! Talk about me as if I was the king's property. The only people my heart belongs to are Daniel and Father. _

"You look beautiful," said a familiar voice behind her.

She spun around to look him in the eyes.

"Thank you Daddy."

"The wedding will be starting soon. We should probably get ready for when I walk you down the aisle."

She linked her arm with his as they walked to the courtyard.

When they reached the wide double-doors the first thing they say was Snow White sitting down and playing with the flowers in her basket. This brought a smile to Regina's face.

"Hey Snow, are you ready?"

The little girl shot up with the basket in her hand while the flowers spilled out. Snow let loose a giggle and bent down to pick up the fallen flowers. Regina came over and scooped some up for her. She looked through the flowers in her hand and held onto a pink rose as she dumped the others into the basket.

"Here" Regina said as she tucked the rose behind Snow White's ear.

Snow just simply smiled and hugged Regina.

"I'm so happy I can finally have a mother again."

"I'm happy that I can have such a wonderful girl like you as my daughter," Regina said hesitantly. This made Snow hug Regina tighter.

_**Daniel was laying in a bed of flowers by the time Regina came out to start her lessons. She approached him cautiously and kept her distance like her mother told her to do when addressing a peasant. Without saying a word, Daniel got up and walked over to the stables to get out Roscoe. **_

_** "Now. Show me what you know."**_

_**It wasn't until a few hours had passed that Daniel went over to get his own horse from the stables to ride alongside Regina. Daniel came out with a beautiful chestnut mare that had a light brown mane and a patch of white on it's forehead. Daniel leaped on the horse and trotted past Regina.**_

_** "You coming?"**_

_** "Are you going to use a saddle?"**_

_** "I didn't use one four years ago, why do I need one now?"**_

_** "Because you're setting a bad example for your student."**_

_** "Well I hoped you wouldn't be stupid enough to ride bareback when you have enough trouble with a saddle."**_

_** "Well maybe I just need a good teacher."**_

_**He looked at her thoughtfully and smiled. **_

_** "Well then, how 'bout we try riding without a saddle for the rest of the day so when you fail and start listening to me you'll actually learn and see how great of a teacher I am."**_

When the double-doors opened, Regina was blinded by the light from the outside. She immediately started to take in her surroundings. The long aisle, marked by golden bricks and shrubs growing on the sides, lead up to the rounded pavilion that the king and the minister stood underneath. On both sides of the aisle was a crowd of people, some she knew from dining with them and others she had never seen before. Surrounding the courtyard was a tall hedge with a garden lining it. She looked back at the king. He was wearing his usual getup _(figures)_ along with his crown that partly covered his bald spot. In his hands he held a matching crown that was smaller and silver while his was gold.

Little Snow started down the aisle throwing the flowers back at Regina. After she got halfway down, Henry and Regina started after her, arms linked together. The crowd was cheering as they walked by. More flowers were thrown above their heads. Regina watched as they came down and landed gently on them. The mix of vibrant colors seemed to fall in slow-motion as well as the people cheering around them. _This all seems a little too grand to be real._ She had imagined a day like this since she had first kissed Daniel in the stables. That day had been terrible as Regina had found out that her mother had started looking for husbands for her young daughter. However, Daniel was able to calm her worries with a simple kiss. It was at that moment that Regina realized it was true love and that she wanted to spend her life with him. Today, everything was perfect. Everything was perfect except for the groom.

King Leopold stood waiting with Snow at his side. A smile lit up his face as Regina approached. He of course had been waiting for this day too. Ever since Queen Eva had passed, Leopold scoured the land in search for someone who would truly care for his daughter. Regina had seemed fine at first and he was a little hesitant but after meeting with her and listening to Snow tell stories about her, he knew he had found the right person. Was the wedding a bit over board? Yes. Was it a bit too much for the girl? Definitely. But the king wanted to impress the girl and make her feel at home.

Regina stepped up onto the platform with her father following after her. As instructed to, she reached out and held the king's hands while looking into his eyes. She did her best to imagine the man standing across from her was Daniel. _Like it should have been._ The two stayed like that until the minister was done reading.

"King Leopold, wilt thou have this woman to thy wedded wife, to live together after God's ordinance in the holy estate of Matrimony? Wilt thou love her, comfort her, honour, and keep her in sickness and in health; and, forsaking all others, keep thee only unto her, so long as ye both shall live?"

"I will."

"And Regina, wilt thou have this man to thy wedded husband, to live together after God's ordinance in the holy estate of Matrimony? Wilt thou love him, comfort him, honour, and keep him in sickness and in health; and, forsaking all others, keep thee only unto him, so long as ye both shall live?"

"I will."

The minister then reached behind him and pulled out a pillow that the two rings lied on. Leopold took one and slipped it onto Regina's finger. She did the same for him.

"I now pronounce ye: husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride."

Those words hit Regina like a carriage. How could she forget she would have to kiss the king? And what about after the marriage? What if Leopold wanted more kids? Regina ran her whole life through in her head as the king drew near. Before she knew it, the kiss was over and the king was placing the crown atop of her head. Regina stepped before the crowd and curtsied like her mother had taught her. As she looked over the crowd she thought she saw Daniel. If this was to be her new life she would have to forget about him.


End file.
